Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes (The Easiest Dinner in My Rotation)

It is the last stretch of August in Kansas City, the tomatoes at the farmers market are finally at that stage where they are almost too sweet, and I have completely run out of dinner ideas. Every year I forget that late summer does this to me. The heat wins, the schedule gets loud again, and by six oclock I am standing in front of the fridge doing absolutely nothing helpful.

So we are back to the one dinner that has never once let me down. A block of feta, a pile of cherry tomatoes, a lot of olive oil, and forty minutes of the oven doing all the work while I do literally anything else. It goes viral every couple of years and honestly it deserves to.

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Why you will love this one

There is almost no chopping. You slice some garlic, and that is the extent of the knife work. Everything else goes into one dish and comes out looking like you have your life together.

It is also the rare dinner my whole house agrees on. The kids eat it because it is pasta. I eat it because it tastes tangy and rich and a little bit fancy. And it uses up the tomatoes that would otherwise sit on my counter until I feel guilty about them.

Best part, the sauce makes itself. The feta melts down, the tomatoes burst, and when you smash them together with a fork it turns into this creamy pink sauce that clings to every noodle. No cream, no roux, no standing over a pan.

What you need

• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
• 8 oz block of feta, packed in brine (not the crumbles)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb short pasta, rigatoni, penne or shells
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

The only equipment that actually matters is a baking dish big enough that the tomatoes sit in one layer. I use a ceramic 9×13 because it goes straight from the oven to the table and nobody has to know there is no serving bowl involved. A microplane zester is the other thing I would not skip, because the lemon zest at the end is what keeps the whole thing from feeling heavy.

How to make it

Heat the oven to 400F. Dump the tomatoes and the sliced garlic into your baking dish, then set the block of feta right in the middle like it is the guest of honor. Pour the olive oil over everything, sprinkle on the oregano, pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and toss the tomatoes gently without disturbing the feta.

Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes. You are looking for tomatoes that have collapsed and gone jammy, and feta that has slumped and softened all the way through. If you want a little browning on top, broil it for 2 or 3 minutes, but stand there and watch it, because broilers are not to be trusted.

While that happens, boil your pasta in water that is properly salty. Before you drain it, scoop out a cup of the pasta water. I forget this step roughly half the time and I always regret it.

Now the fun part. Take a fork and mash the feta and the tomatoes together right in the hot dish until it turns into a rosy, creamy sauce. Add the drained pasta and toss, splashing in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until everything is glossy and coated. Finish with the lemon zest, a squeeze of the juice, and all that torn basil. Taste it, add salt if it needs it, and eat it warm.

Tips, swaps, and making it ahead

Buy the block. This is the one rule. Pre crumbled feta is coated so it does not clump, which also means it will not melt into a sauce. It just sits there in sad little pieces. Ask me how I know.

Add a protein if you need it to stretch. Shredded rotisserie chicken tossed in at the end is the easy move. Shrimp works too, just nestle them in for the last 8 minutes of baking.

Make it a full sheet of vegetables. Late August means zucchini everywhere. Add a sliced one, or a handful of sweet peppers, right alongside the tomatoes.

Spinach is a free win. Stir a few big handfuls into the hot sauce before you add the pasta. It wilts down to nothing and I feel better about myself.

Make ahead. You can roast the tomatoes and feta earlier in the day, leave it at room temperature, then warm it gently and mash it when the pasta is ready. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and reheat best in a skillet with a splash of water or milk over low heat. The microwave works, it is just a little sadder.

Quick recipe details

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 6
• Storage: Airtight in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water or milk. It does not freeze well, the sauce goes grainy.

Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

A whole block of feta roasted with sweet cherry tomatoes until it melts into a creamy, tangy sauce. One dish, almost no chopping, and it tastes like you tried much harder than you did.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
• 8 oz block feta cheese block, not crumbles
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb short pasta rigatoni, penne or shells
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 400F. Put the tomatoes and sliced garlic in a 9×13 baking dish and set the block of feta right in the middle.
2. Pour the olive oil over everything, then sprinkle on the oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Give the tomatoes a gentle toss without moving the feta.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is soft and slumped. If you want color on top, broil for 2 to 3 minutes and watch it closely.
4. While it bakes, boil the pasta in well salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
5. Mash the hot feta and tomatoes together with a fork until it looks like a rosy, creamy sauce.
6. Add the drained pasta to the dish and toss, splashing in pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats every noodle.
7. Finish with the lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and the torn basil. Taste, add salt if it needs it, and serve warm.

Notes

Use a block of feta packed in brine, not pre crumbled. Crumbles are drier and will not melt into a sauce the same way. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 days and reheat best with a splash of water or milk in a skillet over low heat.

The takeaway

Some dinners are a project and some dinners are a rescue. This one is a rescue, and I think there is real value in having two or three of those written down somewhere so you are not standing in the kitchen at six oclock trying to invent something. It is cheap, it uses the produce that is actually good right now, and it makes the house smell like garlic and olive oil, which has never once been a bad thing.

If you make it, tell me what you threw in. I am always looking for a new way to hide vegetables in it, so drop it in the comments.

So glad you are here.
xo, Pam